Can-opener



L. OSMUNDSEN.

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, |919.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920;

A nok/vers LOUIS OSMUNDSEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW `YORK.

CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Application led June 5, 1919. Serial No. 301,934.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Louis OSMUNDSEN, a citizen of Norway, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Can- Opener, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in combination tools, and pertains more particularly to devices of this character especially adapted to culinary purposes.

The invention has for its primary object to provide a can opener in which the top of a can may be cut in the ordinary manner, or the entire top together with a portion of the sides of the can may be removed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener which is capable of use in operating on cans of various shapes and sizes.

With the above and other objects in view, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top plan View showing one method'by which the tool is used;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the same method of use;

Fig. 3 is a View in elevation partly in section, of a different method of use;

Fig. l is a detail sectional view;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the device comprises two substantially flat bars 6 and 7, which are adapted to contact with each other throughout the greater portion of their length, and said bars are retained in position by means of metal clips or ears 8. These ears 8 are preferably formed integral with the bar 6 and are bent around the member 7 as more clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Mounted on one end of the bar 7, is a handle 9, and rigidly carried by the other end of said bar is a knife 10, said knife being curved as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and having a projecting piercing point '11,

Oppositely disposed with relation to the knife 10, is a hooked member 12, .and said hooked member 12 is adapted to` serve as a cap-lifter or bottle-opener. The cap-lifter and knife are secured to the member 7, by

means of rivets 13, and suitably secured to said cap-lifter and adapted to embrace the member 7, is a sheet metal guide 14, as more clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

Rigidly carried by the outer free end of the member 7 is a piercing element 15, and the free end of said piercing element 15 is formed with a tapered headlG, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more specifically described.

The outer end of the member 6 is bent backwardly upon the body portion, as at 19, to provide a curved can-engaging surface when the piercing element 15 serves as the fulcrum as is shown in Fig. 1.

In use, when it is desired to remove the entire top of a can, together with a portion of the sides thereof, the piercing element 15 is passed through the top of the can as best seen in Fig. 2. rThe member 7 is now moved longitudinally of the member 6, by the handle 9, until the point `11 of the knife 10 passes through the side of the can. "If the device be moved about the can with the piercing element as a pivot point, the knife 10 will cut through the side of the can.

If it is desired to use the can opener in the ordinary manner, the knife 10 is inserted through the Jtop of the can as shown in Fig. 3, with the top edge of the can lying within the curved surface of the member 19,

which serves as a fulcrum for the lever during the cutting operation.

By making the members 6 and 7 slidable with relation to each other, it is apparent that the device is capable of use in connection with cans of various sizes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A can opener comprising two members slidably connected together, one of said members having its free end bent backwardly upon itself to provide a guide, a fulcrum passing through said bent portion and the body portion and secured therein, a knife carried by the free end of the other of said slidable members, and an operating handle carried by said last-mentioned slidable member and adapted to move the knife with respect to the first-mentioned slidable member and toward and away from the fulcrum thereof.

LOUIS OSMUNDSEN. 

